India chose to bowl against New Zealand as Shreyas Iyer won his fourth toss of the tour in Auckland.

India Lineup Changes

India made two alterations to the side that went 3-0 earlier this week. Ishan Kishan returned in place of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, while Mayank Yadav took the spot of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Consequently, the opening partnership that achieved the highest powerplay in T20I history at 118 has been broken up after just a single game. Iyer showed no particular interest in rotating players merely to give bench members game time, aiming instead to field his first-choice team in pursuit of a 5-0 sweep. Iyer stated that they decided to leave no stone unturned, noting that while the series is won, the job is only half done and it is important to be ruthless.

New Zealand Adjustments

New Zealand made one change, swapping one seam-bowling allrounder for another as Nathan Smith replaced Kyle Jamieson. The hosts were once again tasked with setting a target in a chase-friendly format at a ground known for high-scoring encounters, recalling that New Zealand previously posted their highest ever T20I total of 243 in Auckland only to lose the match. Captain Mitchell Santner expressed hope for a change in fortune on a fresh day, new ground, and new pitch. Santner acknowledged that their batting group is performing well, while the bowling unit must find ways to take wickets or get through the over, additionally conceding that their fielding has not been great. India’s playing eleven features Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav, and Prince Yadav. New Zealand’s lineup comprises Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy, and Matt Fisher.

Source: ESPNcricinfo

Photo: 247 Entertainment / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (photo page)